About SLV LAB

We adopt an experimental and collaborative approach to research. We learn by doing and we share process and results with the community to gauge impact and resonance. Our user-centred, iterative approach helps us create library experiences that are genuinely valued and aligned with the needs of Victorians.  Our projects are short and focused, centering thoughtful iteration the form of sprints and hands-on workshops. Our experiments embrace the unknown - we are not afraid to explore unconventional ideas and learn from both successes and failures. Emerging insights and prototypes are shared with the wider community, creating feedback loops that ensure that our projects are impactful and valuable for our communities.

SLV LAB is committed to working and learning in the open. This means every project, research finding and resource we develop is documented and published on this website. By sharing our data, code and processes, we aim to contribute to a broader community of practice, fostering collaboration and collective growth in the cultural sector.

We strive for collectivity, engaging disparate departments across SLV and running ongoing conversations with the wider technologist, creative and GLAM (galleries, library, archives and museums) communities. We invite people into SLV through community events and technologist-in-residence positions. We prototype possibilities with communities both inside and outside of SLV. Our work brings together Library staff, external technologists, artists, writers, makers, designers, researchers and local communities, respecting and melding each collaborator's rich expertise. As we interweave wide-ranging perspectives, we seek to create resources that reflect our varied and vibrant community.